Device for launching and housing boat anchors



Sept. 23, 1958 B. w. FUERST DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING AND HOUSING BOATANCHORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 6, 1955 INVENTOR. 5 emam fl/Fu e/JfBY @WM/Q 14770R/VEX p 23, 1953 B. w. FUERST 2,853,039

DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING AND HOUSING BOAT ANCHORS Filed Dec. 6, 1955 2Sheets-Sheet 2 4 INVENTOR.

52/7? ordfllFuera/ ,4 TTORNEX United States Patent Ofitice 2,853,039Patented Sept. 23, 1958 DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING AND HOUSING BOAT ANCHORSBernard W. Fuerst, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to Edward De Groot,Grand Rapids, Mich.

Application December 6, 1955, Serial No. 551,319

15 Claims. (Cl. 114-410) This invention relates to improvements indevice for launching and housing boat anchors.

The principal objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a device which may be mounted on the deck of a boat toreceive and house the boat anchor when not in use and to elevate andproject the anchor over the edge of the boat by simply pulling on theanchor rope when the anchor is to be dropped.

Second, to provide a device of the character described in which areleasable latch temporarily engages the anchor during retrieving of theanchor so that anchor is not relaunched when the pull on the anchor ropeis released at the end of the retrieving operation.

Third, to provide a relatively simple and rugged anchor housing andlaunching device which can be secured to the deck of the boat and lockedto prevent theft of the launching device.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from aconsideration of the following description and claims.

The drawings, of which there are two sheets, illustrate a highlypractical form of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a boat with the anchorlaunching and housing device in place thereon.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the launching device inpartially open position with the anchor in released operative positionand with the launching device partially closed at the end of thelaunching operation, portions of the device being broken away in crosssection.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the launching device in openposition as it will appear at an intermediate stage in either launchingor retrieving operation.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the launching device inopen position partially broken away in cross section along the plane ofbroken line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the launching deviceand the anchor retaining latch as the parts approach the end of theretrieving operation.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal cross sectional view taken along theplane of line 6-6 in Fig. l.

The launching device of the present invention is designed to permit thelaunching and retrieving of a boat anchor simply by manipulation of theanchor cable from a point remote from the launching device. In thedrawings a portion of a boat is indicated at 1 with the launching devicemounted on the deck adjacent to the edge of the boat. The deviceconsists generally of a base 2 which is bolted or screwed to the deck inoverhanging relation and a lever arm 3 pivoted to the base andprojecting still further over the outer end of the base and the edge ofthe boat. More specifically the base 2 is formed as an elongated castinghaving an upstanding peripheral flange 4 and a bottom wall 5 with holes6 therein through which screws or bolts may be passed for securing thebase to the deck. At the rear or inner end of the base the flange 4 isprovided with upstanding ears 7 which support a cross pin 8 on which thelever arm 3 is pivoted. o

The lever arm 3 is also formed as a chambered casting having a top wall9 with depending side flanges 10. The rear ends of the side flanges 10form pivot cars which are received on the cross pin and intermediate theends of the lever arm the side flanges 10 are provided with dependinglegs 11 which engage the base 2 when the lever arm is closed on thebase. Desirably one of the legs 11 is provided with a hole 12 whichregisters with a hole 13 in the base flange 4 to permit a padlock 14 tolock the lever arm and base together when desired. With the lever armlocked down access to the screws holding the base on the boat isprevented so the device is not readily stolen from the boat.

The outer or swinging end of the lever arm 3 is narrowed as at 15 andprovided with a transversely extending pulley pin 16 on which the pulleywheel 17 is rotatably mounted. The top wall of the: lever arm defines apulley slot 18 through which the top of the pulley wheel 17 extends.

The anchor cable 19 which supports the anchor is extended from a remoteoperating position over the pulley wheel 17 and through the slot 18 tothe anchor 20. It will be understood that the term anchor cable isintended to cover metalor fiber ropes or cables as well as chains orother anchor supporting strands.

The anchor 20 is an elongated member desirably of cast iron to obtainthe desired weight. The anchor is circular in cross section so that itis immaterial in what rotated position the anchor engages the launchingdevice as will be described. The upper end of the anchor is providedwith an eye 21 and a hole 22 through which the cable 19 is threaded andknotted on the end as at 23 to secure the anchor on the cable. The lowerend of the anchor is provided with an enlarged portion 24 taperingconically to a lower point and forming an upwardly facing shoulder 25completely around the anchor.

Positioned within the chambered lever arm 3 near the lower or inner endthereof is a clip 26 having downwardly and forwardly diverging jaws 27which form with the top wall of the lever arm a socket area 28 forretainingly receiving the conical end of the anchor. Pivotally supportedon one side flange 10 of the lever arm is a latch bar 29 having alaterally turned retaining lug 30 on its outer end. The latch bar ispivoted at 31 and proportioned with respect to the conical end 24 of theanchor so that the lug 30 engages over the shoulder 25 on the anchorwhen the end of the anchor is retained in the socket 28. The inner endof the latch bar 29 is provided with a depending trip finger 32 whichweight biases the lug 3i forwardly when the lever arm is in raisedposition as shown in Fig. 3. In this position descending motion of theconical lower end of the anchor will engage and cam the lug 30rearwardly until the anchor is received in the socket and until the lugmoves over the shoulder 25. When the lever arm 3 with the anchor lockedin the socket 28 is permitted to close forwardly as in Figs. 2 and 5,the depending trip finger 32 engages a cam projection 33 secured to theside flange 4 of the base to raise the lug 30 and release the anchor 20as appears in Fig. 1.

Positioned spirally around the cross pin 8 between the side flanges 10of the lever arm is a coiled spring 34 having one end 35 hooked underthe rear end of the lever arm. The other end of the spring is hookedbehind a pin 36 on a disk 37 which is freely rotatable on the cross pin.The disk 37 has a plurality of radial holes 38 for selective receptionof a stop pin 39 which engages the bottom of the base to limit rotationof the disk. The spring 34 can thus be prewound or tensioned to bias thelever arm 3 downwardly toward closed position and opening motion of thelever arm further increases the closing force applied by the spring tothe lever arm.

The operation of the launching device from the stored position of theanchor as illustrated in Fig. 1 is as follows:

Initial tension on the cable 19 pulls the outer or upper end of theanchor out to the pulley wheel 17 and further pull on the cablefunctions to open or raise the lever arm to vertical position with theanchor hanging by gravity along the forward side of the lever arm asshown in Figs. 3 and 4. Gradual release or paying out of the cable 19permits the tension in the spring 34 to swing the lever arm forwardlyand the anchor concurrently moves forwardly and downwardly in a verticalposition until it clears the outer end of the base 2 and can be loweredover the side of the boat by the cable as will be understood. Inretrieving the anchor the cable is drawn in until the top of the anchoragain engages the pulley 17 and the lever arm is again swung to openupright position as in Figs. 3 and 4.

In order to retain and house the anchor rather than to relaunch it, thetension on the cable 19 is quickly released so that the anchor fallsvertically by gravity behind the jaws 27 before the spring 34 has had anopportunity to swing the lever arm 3 forwardly in a closing motion. Asthe anchor falls behind the jaws 27 the latch bar 29 and lug 30 lockover the shoulder is previously explained and tension can be reappliedto the cable 19 to cushion or control the lowering and closing motion ofthe lever arm. The lower end of the anchor remains latched behind thelug until the final closing motion of the lever arm, at which time thetrip finger 32 engages the cam projection 33 to release the anchor inhorizontal housed position ready for the next launching operation.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications in theshape and materials of the anchor and launching device may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in thefollowing claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and isdesired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A boat anchor launching and storing device comprising an elongatedbase adapted to be secured to the deck of a boat in projecting relationover the edge of the deck and having an upstanding peripheral flangealong its sides and ends, upstanding ears on the inner end of said basesupporting a cross pin, a downwardly opening chambered lever arm pivotedat its inner end on said cross pin and projecting beyond the outer endof said base, legs on said arm abutted against the flange on said baseand adapted to be locked thereto, spring means coiled around said pinand engaged between said base and said arm to bias said arm toward saidbase, a pulley slot opening through the top of the outer end of said armand having a pulley wheel projecting therethrough and rotatably mountedon a horizontal axis on said arm, jaws on the underside of said arm atthe inner end thereof forming an upwardly and longitudinally outwardlyopening socket, an elongated anchor weight freely and unconnectedlyreceivable between said base and said arm and having a conical lower endreceivable in said socket, said anchor weight having an annular shoulderspaced upwardly from said lower end and facing the upper end of theweight, means for attaching an anchor cable to the upper end of saidanchor weight, a cable attached to said means at the upper end of saidweight and threaded over said pulley and through said slot, the lengthof said anchor weight being less than the distance between said pulleyand said socket, a latch bar pivoted on a horizontal axis on the side ofsaid arm and having a laterally inwardly turned lug engageable over saidshoulder on said anchor when the lower end of the anchor is received insaid socket, a depending trip finger on said latch bar,

and a cam projection on the side of said base engageable with said tripfinger when said arm is closed on said base to swing said latch bar andits lug upwardly out of engagement with said weight.

2. A boat anchor launching and storing device comprising an elongatedbase adapted to be secured to the deck of a boat and having anupstanding flange along its sides, upstanding ears on the inner end ofsaid base supporting a cross pin, a downwardly opening chambered leverarm pivoted at its inner end on said cross pin and projecting beyond theouter end of said base, legs on said arm abutted against said base,spring means engaged between said base and said arm to bias said armtoward said base, a pulley slot opening through the top of the outer endof said arm and having a pulley wheel projecting therethrough androtatably mounted on a horizontal axis on said arm, jaws on theunderside of said arm at the inner end thereof forming an upwardly andlongitudinally outwardly opening socket, an elongated anchor weightfreely and unconnectedly receivable between said base and said arm andhaving a conical lower end receivable in said socket, said anchor weighthaving an annular shoulder spaced upwardly from said lower end andfacing the upper end of the weight, a cable attached to the upper end ofsaid weight and threaded over said pulley and through said slot, thelength of said anchor weight being less than the distance between saidpulley and said socket, a latch bar pivoted on a horizontal axis on theside of said arm and having a laterally inwardly turned lug engageableover said shoulder on said anchor when the lower end of the anchor isreceived in said socket, a depending trip finger on said latch bar, anda cam projection on said base engageable with said trip finger when saidarm is closed on said base to swing said latch bar and its lug upwardlyout of engagement with said weight.

3. A boat anchor launching and storing device comprising a base adaptedto be secured to the deck of a boat and having an upstanding flangealong its sides, upstanding ears on the inner end of said basesupporting a cross pin, a downwardly opening chambered lever arm pivotedat its inner end on said cross pin and projecting beyond the outer endof said base, means on said arm abutted against said base with the topof the arm in spaced relation above the base, spring means engagedbetween said base and said arm to bias said arm toward said base, apulley slot opening through the top of the outer end of said arm, apulley wheel rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis on said arm belowsaid slot, means on the underside of said arm at the inner end thereofforming an upwardly and longitudinally outwardly opening socket, anelongated anchor weight freely and unconnectedly receivable between saidbase and said arm and having a conical lower end receivable in saidsocket, said anchor weight having an annular shoulder spaced upwardlyfrom said lower end and facing the upper end of the weight, a cableattached to the upper end of said weight and threaded over said pulleyand through said slot, the length of said anchor weight being less thanthe distance between said pulley and said socket, a latch bar pivoted ona horizontal axis on the side of said arm and having a laterallyinwardly turned lug engageable over said shoulder on said anchor whenthe lower end of the anchor is received in said socket, a depending tripfinger on said latch bar, and atcam projection on the side of said baseengageable with said trip finger when said arm is closed on said base toswing said latch bar and its lug upwardly out of engagement with saidweight.

4. A boat anchor launching and storing device comprising a base adaptedto be secured to the deck of a boat, upstanding ears on the inner end ofsaid base supporting a cross pin, a downwardly opening chambered leverarm pivoted at its inner end on said cross pin and projecting beyond theouter end of said base, means on said arm abutted against said base withthe top of the arm in spaced relation above the base, spring meansengaged between said base and said arm to bias said arm toward saidbase, a pulley slot opening through the top of the outer end of saidarm, a pulley wheel rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis on said armbelow said slot, means on the underside of said arm at the inner endthereof forming an upwardly and longitudinally outwardly opening socket,an elongated anchor weight freely and unconnectedly receivable betweensaid base and said arm and having a lower end receivable in said socket,said anchor weight having an annular shoulder spaced upwardly from saidlower end and facing the upper end of the weight, a cable attached tothe upper end of said weight and threaded over said pulley and throughsaid slot, the length of said anchor weight being less than the distancebetween said pulley and said socket, a latch bar pivoted on the side ofsaid arm and having a lug engageable over said shoulder on said anchorwhen the lower end of the anchor is received in said socket, a tripfinger on said latch bar, and a cam projection on said base engageablewith said trip finger when said arm is closed on said base to swing saidlatch bar and its lug out of engagement with said weight.

5. A boat anchor launching and storing device comprising an elongatedbase adapted to be secured to the deck of a boat and having anupstanding flange along its sides, a downwardly opening chambered leverarm pivoted at its inner end on the inner end of said base andprojecting beyond the outer end of said base, means abutted between saidbase and said arm and holding the top of the arm in spaced relationabove the base, spring means engaged between said base and said arm tobias said arm toward said base, a pulley slot opening through the outerend of said arm, a pulley wheel rotatably mounted on a horizontal axison said arm under said slot, means on the underside of said arm at theinner end thereof forming a longitudinally outwardly opening socket, anelongated anchor weight freely and unconnectedly receivable between saidbase and said arm and having a lower end receivable in said socket, saidanchor weight having an annular shoulder spaced upwardly from said lowerend and facing the upper end of the weight, a cable attached to theupper end of said weight and threaded over said pulley and through saidslot, the length of said anchor weight being less than the distancebetween said pulley and said socket, a latch bar pivoted on said arm andhaving a laterally turned lug engageable over said shoulder on saidanchor when the lower end of the anchor is received in said socket, atrip finger on said latch bar, and a cam projection on said baseengageable with said trip finger when said arm is closed on said base toswing said latch bar and its lug out of engagement with said weight.

6. A boat anchor launching and storing device comprising an elongatedbase adapted to be secured to the deck of a boat and having anupstanding flange along its sides, a lever arm pivoted at its inner endon the inner end of said base, means abutted between said base and saidarm and holding the top of the arm in spaced relation above the base,spring means engaged between said base and said arm to bias said armtoward said base, a pulley slot opening through the outer end of saidarm, a pulley wheel rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis on said armunder said slot, means on the underside of said arm at the inner endthereof forming a longitudinally outwardly opening socket, an elongatedanchor weight freely and unconnectedly receivable between said base andsaid arm and having a lower end receivable in said socket, said anchorweight having an annular shoulder spaced upwardly from said lower endand facing the upper end of the weight, a cable attached to the upperend of said weight and threaded over said pulley and through said slot,the length of said anchor weight being less than the distance betweensaid pulley and said socket, a latch bar pivoted on said arm and havinga laterally turned lug engageable over said shoulder on said anchor.When the lower end of the anchor is received in said socket, a tripfinger on said latch bar, and a cam projection on said base engageablewith said trip finger when said arm is closed on said base to swing saidlatch bar and its lug out of engagement with said weight.

7. A boat anchor launching and storing device comprising an elongatedarm adapted to be pivotally secured at its inner end to the deck of aboat and having a down turned flange along its sides, legs dependingfrom said arm to be supported from the deck when the arm is generallyparallel to the deck, spring means positioned to react between said deckand said arm to bias said arm toward said deck when said arm is securedto the deck, a pulley slot opening through the top of the outer end ofsaid arm and having a pulley wheel projecting therethrough and rotatablymounted on a horizontal axis on said arm, means on the underside of saidarm. at the inner end thereof forming a longitudinally outwardly openingsocket, an elongated anchor weight freely and. unconnectedly receivablebetween said deck and said arm and having a conical lower end receivablein said socket, said anchor weight having an annular shoulder spacedupwardly from said lower end and facing the upper end of the weight, acable attached to the upper end of said weight and threaded over saidpulley and through said slot, the length of said anchor weight beingless than the distance between said pulley and said socket, a latch barpivoted on a horizontal axis on the side of said arm and having alaterally inwardly turned lug engageable over said shoulder on saidanchor when the lower end of the anchor is received in said socket, anda depending trip finger on said latch bar engageable with an elementfixed on said deck when said arm is closed on said deck to swing saidlatch bar and its lug upwardly out of engagement with said weight.

8. A boat anchor launching and storing device comprising an elongatedarm adapted to be pivotally secured at its inner end to the deck of aboat and having a down turned flange along its sides, spring meanspositioned to react between said deck and said arm to bias said armtoward said deck when said arm is secured to the deck, a slot openingthrough the outer end of said arm, a pulley wheel rotatably mounted on ahorizontal axis on said arm, means on the underside of said arm at theinner end thereof forming a longitudinally outwardly opening socket, anelongated anchor Weight freely and unconnectedly receivable between saiddeck and said arm and having a lower end receivable in said socket, saidanchor weight having an annular shoulder spaced upwardly from said lowerend and facing the upper end of the weight, a cable attached to theupper end of said weight and threaded over said pulley and through saidslot, the length of said anchor weight being less than the distancebetween said pulley and said socket, a latch bar pivoted on the side ofsaid arm and having a laterally inwardly turned lug engageable over saidshoulder on said anchor when the lower end of the anchor is received insaid socket, and a trip finger on said latch bar engageable with anelement fixed on said deck when said arm is closed on said deck to swingsaid latch bar and its lug out of engagement with said weight.

9. A boat anchor launching and storing device comprising pivotallyconnected base and arm members defining an anchor chamber therebetweenwhen in closed position, means biasing said members together, said basemember being adapted to be secured to a boat deck, means forming alongitudinally outwardly opening socket at the inner end and inner sideof said arm memher, the outer end of said arm member defining a cableslot, an anchor having a lower end portion receivable in said socket andan intermediate portion receivable in said chamber, a cable attachingportion at the Outer end of said anchor, said anchor being shorter fromsaid lower end to said cable attaching portion than the distance betweensaid slot and said socket, a cable attached to said cable attachingportion and threaded outwardly from the anchor through said slot, anupwardly facing shoulder on said anchor, a latch movably mounted on saidarm and cammingly engageable with said anchor on inward motion of theanchor along said arm to engage over said shoulder, and a releaseportion on said latch engageable with a portion of said base member inthe closed position of the arm and base member to move said latch toanchor releasing position.

10. A boat anchor launching and storing device comprising pivotallyconnected base and arm members defining an anchor chamber therebetweenwhen in closed position, means biasing said members together, said basemember being adapted to be secured to a boat deck, means forming alongitudinally outwardly opening socket at the inner end and inner sideof said arm member, the outer end of said arm member defining a cableslot, an anchor having a lower end portion receivable in said socket andan intermediate portion receivable in said chamber, a cable attachingportion at the outer end of said anchor, said anchor being shorter fromsaid lower end to said cable attaching portion than the distance betweensaid slot and said socket, and a cable attached to said cable attachingportion and threaded outwardly from the anchor through said slot.

11. A boat anchor launching and storing device comprising pivotallyconnected base and arm members, said base member being adapted to besecured to a boat deck, means biasing said arm member on said basemember toward the deck, means forming a longitudinally outwardly openingsocket at the inner end and inner side of said arm member, the outer endof said arm member defining a cable slot, an anchor having a lower endportion receivable in said socket, a cable attaching portion at theouter end of said anchor, said anchor being shorter from said lower endto said cable attaching portion than the distance between said slot andsaid socket, and a cable attached to said cable attaching portion andthreaded outwardly from the anchor through said slot.

12. A boat anchor launching and retrieving device comprising pivotallyconnected base and arm members, said base being adapted to be secured toa boat with the hinge located inboard and the outer end of the baseadjacent the side of the boat, a spring connected between said arm andsaid base to bias-said arm toward said base and the deck, means foradjusting the biasing force of said spring, said arm being long enoughto project beyond the end of said base and the side of the boat andhaving a pulley mounted in the projecting end and having a hole formedin its outer end adjacent said pulley, an r anchor rope traineddownwardly through said hole and over said pulley, an anchor having ashank with said rope connected to its top, and coacting stop means onsaid base and said arm to hold said arm in spaced relation to said baseand the deck to receive and retain the anchor therebetween.

13. A boat anchor launching and retrieving device comprising pivotallyconnected base and arm members, said base being adapted to be secured toa boat with the hinge located inboard, a spring connected between saidarm and said base to bias said arm toward said base and the deck, saidarm being long enough to project beyond the side of the boat and havinga pulley mounted in the projecting end and having a hole formed in itsouter end adjacent said pulley, an anchor rope trained downwardlythrough said hole and over said pulley, an anchor having a shank withsaid rope connected to its top, and stop means on said arm to hold saidarm in spaced relation to the deck to receive and retain the anchortherebetween.

14. A boat anchor launching and storing device comprising an elongatedarm adapted to be pivotally secured at its inner end to the deck of aboat and having a down turned flange along its sides, spring meanspositioned to react between said deck and said arm to bias said armtoward said deck when said arm is secured to the deck, a pulley slotopening through the outer end of said arm and having a pulley wheelrotatably mounted on a horizontal axis on said arm, means on theunderside of said arm at the inner end thereof forming a longitudinallyoutwardly opening socket, an elongated anchor weight freely andunconnectedly receivable between said deck and said arm and having alower end receivable in said socket, said anchor weight having anannular shoulder spaced upwardly from said lower end and facing theupper end of the weight, a cable attached to said weight and threadedover said pulley and through said slot, the length of said anchor belowthe point of attachment of the rope weight being less than the distancebetween said pulley and said socket, a latch bar pivoted on the side ofsaid arm and having a laterally inwardly turned lug engageable over saidshoulder on said anchor when the lower end of the anchor is received insaid socket, and a trip finger on said latch bar engageable with anelement fixed relative to said deck when said arm is closed on said deckto swing said latch bar and its lug out of engagement with said weight.

15 A boat anchor launching and storing device comprising pivotallyconnected base and arm members, said base member being adapted to besecured to a boat deck, means biasing said arm member on said basemember toward the deck, a latch pivotally mounted on the inner end ofsaid arm, the outer end of said arm member defining a cable slot, ananchor having a lower end portion receivable behind said latch, a cableattaching portion at the outer end of said anchor, said anchor beingshorter from said lower end to said cable attaching portion than thedistance between said slot and said socket, a cable attached to saidcable attaching portion and threaded outwardly from the anchor throughsaid slot, and a release portion on said latch adapted to be actuated inthe lowered position of said arm to release said latch from said anchor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

